1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a service provided by a local telephone company. Specifically, the service is designed to select the lowest cost long distance carrier for a particular telephone call.
2. Background of the Invention
Current methods for selecting a long distance telephone service carrier are cumbersome and inflexible. Generally, callers must select a certain long distance carrier to be assigned as their primary long distance carrier. Every long distance call originating from the caller""s line is carried by the primary long distance carrier. Callers generally select a long distance carrier that they feel would provide the lowest overall cost. Callers generally are not willing to conduct the considerable amount of research and investigation to select a different long distance carrier for every long distance call.
Selecting the lowest rate for a particular call requires considerable research and investigation. Callers would have to review the rate schedules of various long distance carriers for the particular location to be called and the particular time of day for the call. The caller would then have to select the lowest cost carrier and then switch long distance companies. Since this procedure of selecting the lowest cost long distance carrier for every long distance call is not practical, callers generally choose a single long distance carrier that they estimate provides the lowest overall cost and stay with that carrier.
Recently, long distance carriers have begun to offer a selection service based on dialing prefixes. To use a long distance carrier that offers this service, the caller dials a prefix, such as 10-10-321 or 101-6789, or any other suitable prefix associated with that long distance carrier, before the long distance number. Although these services allow callers to switch long distance companies more easily than before, the callers still must determine the lowest cost long distance company overall and still cannot use the lowest cost long distance carrier for every call because this would require callers to investigate the rates of every carrier and select the lowest rate based on destination of the call and location. Time further complicates the selection of the lowest cost long distance carrier. Long distance providers generally vary the rates based on which day of the week the call is placed as well as at what time during the day the call is placed.
Factors that must also be considered are the terminating end points of the call. In other words, the location of the caller and the location of the called party must also be included when the lowest rate long distance carrier is determined. So, even with 101-XXXX service, it is still not practical for callers to use the lowest cost carrier for every call.
Attempts have been made to automatically select the lowest cost long distance carrier. For example, a prototype telephone has been demonstrated that includes an internal rate database. The internal database is updated periodically, presumably, weekly or monthly. When calls are placed, the telephone determines if the call is a long distance call. If the call is a long distance call, then the telephone consults the internal rate database, selects a carrier, and inserts a dialing prefix that routes the call to the selected long distance carrier.
There are several disadvantages. First, since the internal rate database is only updated at predetermined intervals, the database is not always current. Because telephone companies change their rates often, this lack of currency prevents this system from consistently selecting the lowest cost long distance carrier. Also, due to the relatively long period of time between updates, this system cannot exploit promotions, one-time offers, and other special discounts and deals that last only a short period of time.
Another problem with this system is the internal nature of the database. Because the database resides in a memory storage device in a telephone, only one phone in a given house or location is capable of using the benefits of the system. So, if the benefits of the system are desired throughout a house, apartment, or other location, every telephone must be replaced with a new telephone that includes this feature.
It is also unknown if the prototype telephone can determine the lowest cost long distance carrier for a given time of day and for a given lowest cost carrier function of originating and terminating points and time of day.
The present invention is designed to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and to provide a local telephone service that selects the least costly long distance service for a particular telephone call. The call can include voice, data, video, fax, a combination of these forms of communication, or any other signal. The invention is designed to simplify long distance carrier selection for the consumer and seamlessly integrate with current calling procedures, i.e., the caller would just dial the 1+area code+phone number.
The present invention is preferably a service offered by a telephone company and operates by having the telephone company select the least costly long distance carrier for a particular call based on time of day and calling location. When a subscriber to the service originates a long distance call, the telephone company recognizes the call as a long distance call, and then routes the dialed number to a database that includes rate information. The system then uses algorithms and information contained in the database to determine the lowest cost available long distance carrier for that specific call. After the lowest cost carrier has been determined, the system returns a calling prefix that associates the call with the lowest cost carrier. The system then adds the calling prefix corresponding to that lowest cost carrier to the telephone number, and the call is placed. This ensures that the lowest cost available carrier will be used for the long distance call.
Another feature of the present invention is the method by which the database collects and retains rate information. The present invention includes provisions to allow the database to constantly update its rate database by communicating with the different long distance companies"" rate databases. The present invention also includes provisions for updating the rate database at predetermined intervals.
An object of the present invention is to reduce the cost of long distance service.
Another object of the present invention is to help callers select the lowest cost long distance carrier for a particular call.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system that maintains current rate information for various long distance carriers.